Motor-driven envelope opener



March 23, 1954 Q [FFLAND 2,672,930

MOTOR-DRIVEN ENVELOPE OPENER Filed July 1. 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VENTOR: FJZE'DEHJUK 5, IFFLANF.

March 23, 1954 F. c. IFFLAND MOTOR-DRIVEN ENVELOPE OPENER 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed July 1. 1949 m mvme; FRE EHIEK L7. JFPLAND. %%W

' ATTY:

March 1954 F. c. IFFLAND MOTOR-DRIVEN ENVELOPE OPENER s Sheets-Sheet 3Filed July 1, 1949 m MA L V mm m5 K m E E\ M mQp M ll Ill AT TY PatentedMar. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC E f' 2,672,930 MOTOR-DRIVENENVELOPE OPENER Frederick o. Iffland, Blisslield, Mich. Application July1, 1949,Serial No. 102,470

' This invention relates to envelope openers.

' An'object of this invention is to provide a fully automatic machinewhich, upon insertion of one e ge of a sheet of material thereinto, willperform a complete cycle of operations including the shearing of apredetermined amount from the sheet.

Another object of this invention is to provide an envelope opener whichwill automatically shear the edge from an envelope inserted thereintoandreturn the parts to starting positions in readiness to receive asucceeding container.

'And anotherobject of this invention is to provide an attractive,electrically driven machine, when not in use having all its parts idle,but upon theinsertion of an envelope or the like into a chute providedfor that purpose, will perform one complete cycle of operation,resulting in the shearing of a predetermined portion from the insertedmaterial.

.Other objects and advantages of this invention relating to thearrangement, operation and function of the related elements of thestructure, to various details of construction, to combinations of partsand to economies of manufacture,

will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of thefollowing description and appended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein likereference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

= Referring to the drawings:

.Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a sectioncentrally through the apparatus, intermediate its length; as indicatedby line II-II, Fig. 6;

Fig; 3 is a side elevation of the knife operating mechanism(III-IIL'Fig. 6);

: Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the starting switch reset control(IV-IV, Fig. 6)

Fig. 5 is a section through the starting switch showing the initialposition of its control cam in relation thereto (V- V, Fig. 6)

T Fig. 6 is a plan view of the machine, the hous ing being broken awayto expose the operating mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the device with the housing partsremoved; I

Fig. 8 is a partial rear elevation of the shear and shield constructionincluding a showing of the controlswitch and its operating mechanism VIIIVIII, Fig. 6); and

Fig.9 is a side elevation of a portion of the 2 trigger or switchoperating mechanism (IX- 1X, Fig.8). Plate i0 is mounted on resilientbutton supported floor 12, and this base plate carries oppos ing sideplates I 4, l6, whichserve as the supports for the major portion of themechanism as well as means to which the main housing member I8 may beattached. This housing element I8 is a sheet hood defining the overallappearance of the apparatus and includes a top 20, sides 22, 2d, andrear and has an open front 28 in turn closed by plate 30 having itslower edge engage in seat 32 formed by a reverse bend extending from thefloor l2 along the front of the machine. The front plate 30 isreleasably attached to the housing l8 by a spring finger 34 having snapcoactionwith a portion of the top 20. Screws 36'may be employed to mountthe housing over the main frame and afford means for an easy access tothe housing interior.

The front plate 30 mounts a downwardly inclined chute 38 into which thesheets 'to be sheared are placed, herein shown as an envelope til. Theedge to be sheared passes through aperture 42 in the cover plate andengages the upper face of blade 44 mounted on the cross portion 46 of anH-shaped frame construction 48 in turn mounted by and between the sideplates l4, l6.

- The inner sides of the frame 48 also form one side of opposingslideways 50, the oppositesides' beingdefined by bars 52. Theseslideways provide the tracks for reciprocatory carrier 54. --The carrierin. turn, mounts a sheet metal unit 56 therebetween which unit providesa pocket 58 for inclined knife Gil, a depending shield or stop 62, and aplurality of upwardly extending plate portions 64. The knife is L-shapedin crosssection and has its cutting edge fifidisposed to cooperate withthe cutting edge 68 of the blade 44. The opposite ends of this inclinedknife ride against the inner faces of the frame '48 of which, one atleast is slightly canted and provides a cam surface along which the'knife slides during its descentthereby imparting a true shearing actionbetween the blade and knife. Springs Ill carried by the unit 56:, urgethe knife toward the blade at all times.

The knife is reciproeated by the carrier, in turn operated by mechanismhereinafter described.

The carrier is normally returned to and held adjacent the top of theslideway by means of springs 12 attached between the sideplates M, It,and arms fixed at their inner-ends to a common shaft and their oppositeor free ends bifurcated to receive pins 18 fixed with the carrier 54.

This arrangement not only returns the carrier to the start or restposition, but due to the arms 14 being fixed to the common shaft I6,insures an even or stabilizing drive to both ends of the frame 54. Stops80 are provided adjacent the tops of the slideways 50 which may includeresilientbumpers minimizing anyshock from the impact of the returningand res'etting'carrier.

The envelope is inserted into the'chute'38 and moved across the blade 44toward the cutting edge 68 and beyond to skirt or shield 62 which servesas the stop or positioning-means determin ing the extent of the envelopeto be sheared therefrom. Disposed across this envelope insertion path,are a pair of wings 82 which the, envelope must engage and shift inorder to r'each'the stop 62. These wings 82 extend away in eachdirection from the central portion of the shear region so the ny th ta dd 2 n alen el pes p to the capacity of the machine, must move thistrigger arrangementbeforereaching the shear position. These wings 32 areconnected by linktag e84 to camior rock shaft 86L Slides 88, carriedbyfrmembertfi, serve as supports for the free wings ends of thislinkage. ,The shaft 86 is mounted by and'between'the .ends of thecarrier 54 and extends substantially parallel to the line of shear in aspaced position therefrom. This cam shaft 86frnounts a lock arm 9|],aswitch cam 92, a lock insuring. cam 34', a pair of carrierreciprocating t on and function of each being described in order, U .7

lock arm filliis fixed'with the shaft 86 and extends downwardlytherefromto carry pin IIlIl res'tingf in seat I012 of] rock arm IE4pivotally mounted on; the member 56. spring [06' between the outerend'of therock arm I04 and lug 50 8, also fixed with member 56',r'eleasably holds th p .00 n t e, seat 1 h ld th aft against anyrotation other than predetermined and'definitely driven and controlled,When the shaft is'rocke d' by action of the trigger mechaenism,1th6,pin I00 is moved from seat I02 into seat" H0 and the shaft isdefinitely held in the edl t e v When the'shaft SB'isrdclied, the"cainQZ'bendS spring finger I I 2 to engage andshift plunger I I4 toclose micro-switch III}, I v,

The apparatus has lines: I'I8; [I9 extending thereto from a suitablepower'sourcei'the line [I8 extending directly to motor I20, while theline I'I'SJ extends through manually" operable service switch I22"extending through thehousing top 20,- and' thence to switch I'IB mountedonfthe" member 56, and from this switch to the motor I. With the serviceswitch closedjclosing of switch H6 energizes the motor I2B' and shaftI22 is rotatedthereby through speed reduction transmission Iflyhereinshown as a speed reducing'g'ear train;

'Ihe'shaft' I22'rnounts trigger locking cam I26, which, during theinitial movement of the shaft I 22,, contacts the lock insuring cam 94.If the thrust of theenvelope against the trigger mechanism has'beeninsuflicient to throw the pin I00 from seat I02 into seat H0, the'camI26 in its action' against cam'94 completes this operation by rockingshaft 85. Hence, the trigger is certain to'be drawn clear from the shearline and so held'until the shear is complete and the mechanismre'tu'rnsto its position of rest;

'Withthe" rocking of theshaft 85', the carrierreciprocatingvcamsrBS'aresWung intoithepath'of s 96, and a'p'air ofreset cams 98, the opera-g motor I20 stops.

the motor driven coacting cams I28 in the form of a pair of rollers.Further rotation of the shaft I22 following the trigger lock, bringsthese rollers I28 into contact with the cams 96 and forces the frame 54downwardly to carry the knife 60 into cutting operation with the blade44. The cams 96 traveling in a vertical line and the rollers I28swinging through a circle, the rollers I28 ride off the cams 98 at thelower position of the frame 54 following theshear,'andthe springs- I2immediately lift the frame to starting or up position.

As the shaft 86 travels upward with the frame and just before it reachesits uppermost position, the reset cams 88 engage spring fingers I30carried from the'side plates I4, I6. This causes the shaft 86"110 berocked back to its original position, thereby, releasing the switch cam92 from the'finger I I2 which springs outwardly from the plunger H4 toopen the switch H6. The The cams have all assumed their originalrelative positions. Counterweights I3 2 ad'jus'tableas :to thetransmiss'ion, briiig the parts to rest at their'same stations followingeach cycle of operation. The cams fifihave oppositely extending fingersI34 which normally lie in the path Of the Cams i223 and shouldthe cam 95fail to be engaged on the first rotation'of th shaft I22, these fingersI34 will be shifted to, positively throw the cams 95 into the operatingpath where they will be engaged by the succeeding revolution oftherollers. This provides a double check in insuringfull operation of theshaft 86 beforethe shear operation, thus protecting the cutting/e163rnents' against possible injury through contact with the triggermechanism. Y U

Atthe start ofthe'shear, the skirt 52' deter mines the properpositioning of'the ems-ape and as the knife progresses: along thecutfthe plate portions M continue to serve as an abutniiit'for theenvelope. 7

The inclined chute 38 feeds the envelopes on an angle so that the cuttherefrom leaves the opposing faces oftheenvelop'e uneven as anaid toseparation for accessto 'th e'contents. The sh'earings are collected'inasuitable 'pan likere cept'acle I36 accessible for removal and'emptyihgthrough the door at.

A'n extensible rack I38 "may have a stem-cunt ing with thefloor I2 toprovide a storagsspace for cut'or untrimmeditems. I I

It is'to' be understood that the above detailed description of thepresent invention-"is intended; to disclose an embodiment thereof tothose skilled in the art, but that the invention is not-' 'to -beconstruedas'limited in its application to the 'details of"constru'ctionand arrangement of parts illustratedin the accompanyingdrawings; sincethe invention is capable of being practiced afid carried outinvariouswayswithout departing from the spirit of the" invention.Thelanguage' used in thespecification relating totheop'eration andfunction of the elements of the inventionis employed for purposes ofdescription and-not-of limitation; and it is not intended to limitthescope of the following claims beyond the require-- ments of the priorart.

What is claimed and'is desii'edto secure by United'States LettersPatent:

1. In an envelope opener a frame'providing" a pair of opposed verticallydisposed'slideways having a horizontally disposed cross=portiontherebetween, I a carrier 'reciprocahly' mounted in said slideway's,rneansfor reciprocating-said car rier' including a motor a switch forcoht'rolliiig' said motor mounted on said carriei f a first cuttingelement" mounted on saidcross-portion,

4 a second cutting element mounted on said carrier for cooperating withsaid first cutter element during the reciprocation of said carrier toshear an envelope disposed therebetwcen, a rock shaft carried by saidcarrier spaced from said cutter elements, a trigger disposed betweensaid cutter elements to be engaged and shifted by the envelope to besheared as said envelope is being positioned between said cuttingelements, linkage between said trigger and said rock shaft for rotatingsaid shaft in response to trigger movement, means co-acting between saidshaft and carrier to resiliently hold said shaft in increments ofrotation about its axis, and means on said shaft for operating saidswitch at a predetermined selection of the increments of rotation.

2. In an envelope opener of the class described, a frame including abase with a pair of opposed vertical slideways upwardly extendingtherefrom having a cross-portion therebetween, a carrier reciprocablymounted in said slideways, a first cutting element mounted on saidcrossportion, a second cutter element mounted on said carrier forcooperating with said first cutter element during the reciprocation ofsaid carrier to shear an envelope deposited therebetween, a rock shaftcarried by said carrier spaced from said cutter elements, a first cam onsaid rock in substantial parallelism as to the rock shaft, a driving camon said shaft, a trigger disposed between said cutter elements to beengaged and shifted by the envelope to be sheared as said envelope isbeing deposited in shearing position, linkage between said trigger andthe rock shaft to rotate said rock shaft as the trigger is shifted, saidrock shaft thereby moving the first cam into the path of the driving camon said motor driven shaft, and an open switch on said carrier closed bythe movement of the rock shaft, said switch being in said controlcircuit for the motor the closing of said switch thereby energizing saidmotor to cause the reciprocation of the knife carriage.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said switch controlcomprises a second cam on said rock shaft.

4. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein a third cam is mounted onsaid rock shaft to be engaged by said driv cam to rock said shaftindependently of the trigger control linkage.

FREDERICK C. IF'FLAND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 805,724 Harter Nov. 28, 1905 890,300 Reinhold June 9, 19081,197,788 Bircher Sept. 16, 1916 1,249,441 McKenzie Dec. 11, 19172,032,098 Roberts Feb. 25, 1936 2,427,418 Rast Sept. 16, 1947

